Lack of coordination noted in motorcade dry run

CEBU, Philippines — Due to lack of coordination between local officials and the police, the dry run on the motorcade of the images of Sto. Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mandaue City to Lapu-Lapu City began three hours late of schedule yesterday.

The dry run was conducted in preparation for Lapu-Lapu City’s first-ever active involvement in the fluvial procession this year.

Traditionally, the images would be taken from the National Shrine of St. Joseph straight to the Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City, where they will be ferried on a galleon to Pier 1 in Cebu City.

This time, however, the images will be motorcaded from Mandaue to Lapu-Lapu, where they will be carried on a ship back to Cebu City.

Andy Berame, Lapu-Lapu City disaster risk reduction and management officer, said they were expecting the motorcade to arrive in the city at 2 a.m. as planned. During the dry run, though, the motorcade reached the foot of Mandaue-Mactan Bridge at 5 a.m. already.

Berame pointed out that coordination was a blur because the Police Regional Office-7 included the Traslacion sequence from Basilica to Mandaue.

Traslacion refers to the ceremonial meeting of the images of the Holy Family – St. Joseph, Mary, and Child Jesus.

“Wala matuman ang sabot nga mag-start at 2 a.m. kay didto man gyud nagsugod sa Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño,” he said, adding Lapu-Lapu officials were not informed of the police’s plan to start off from the basilica in Cebu City.

Berame said they were thinking that the dry run would start at 2 a.m. from Mandaue City, as agreed during earlier coordination meetings between Lapu-Lapu officials and the police.

“Nakuyawan na mi ni Mario Napule (Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management Systems chief) nga ma-affected ang morning traffic kay wala raba kaayo ta maka-advise sa riding public nga maabot ang exercise at such time,” Berame said.

He also said the parish priest of the Nuestra Señora Virgen dela Regla in Lapu-Lapu City also waited for three hours, expecting the motorcade to arrive by 2 a.m.

Berame said they only knew about the changes in the dry run when the group arrived at the foot of the bridge at around 5 a.m.

Other than the miscommunication, other aspects of the dry run were successful, according to Berame, who said he will give his recommendations to organizers of Traslacion.

“Para nako, dili na mag-dry run balik. Adjustments lang kay makaya ra. Naanad na ta sa mga hosting sa APEC ug ASEAN sa una,” he said. (FREEMAN)